Saturday, November 03, 2012

Jailbreak to Gratitude

So we broke out of jail, and wound up getting a date night courtesy of my parents and their slight affection for their only grandson.

Is it crazy that I could not stop giggling as we settled into our movie theater seats and watched the opening scenes of a movie that didn’t include animated characters or songs that refuse to vacate your head for two weeks?

Psst:

I loved seeing that smile on Mr. Daddy’s face. Ignore my weird chin.

And the movie? The last ten minutes, the captions could have pretty much read:

punch

gunshot

shouting

running steps

punch

grunt

gunshot

gunshot

gunshot

Thus explaining the smile on the dude’s face.

Happiness is seeing your husband make his John Wayne face and mutter, “yeaaaaah” when the good guy gets off a couple of punches.

~

We went to dinner with a giftcard… and wound up with food to bring home.

I could not stop thinking about how easy it is to take for granted that our next meal is pretty much a given. And that we are so blessed, that I have weight to lose. Anyone else say Amen?

Dozens of items from the dollar section (which I never though I’d be brave enough to revisit after the entire “BLEEDING TO DEATH IN TARGET” debacle.)

She sighed. Her annoyance was all over her face.

Itty Bit stilled his chatter to observe her.

Waited for her to make eye contact.

Then said in a quiet earnest voice:

“They’re for Operation Christmas Child.

They’re for kids in Africa.

For Christmas.”

The other Target employee behind us in line watched quietly as the checker paused.

My six-year old knew the significance of this “routine” transaction. Kids in a far away country would see that someone cares. And he was inviting this weary employee to be part of something special. He looked at her as if it were a secret they were sharing.

I watched her annoyance melt. She stopped stuffing items uncaringly into the bags. She smiled at him.

Ahh dagnabbit Rach. Here I sit picturing that baby's face when he told the cashier that and got all weepy eyed.. the faith and love of a child isn't it a foundation shaker for those of us who think we know it all and have seen it all.

John 16:33“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Psalm 71:19-2119 Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, You who have done great things. Who, O God, is like You?20 Though You have made me see troubles, many and bitter, You will restore my life again;from the depths of the earth You will again bring me up.21 You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.Luv u :)

Yay for date nights. That's wonderful that your son has caught the spirit of OCC shoeboxes. May God bless his little faithful heart. We're doing shoeboxes too but haven't assembled them yet. (i.e. it's not the last minute yet.)